Rich Archbold Long Beach Rotary executive leaves `em laughing

Karen Wyrick said she could always get a lot of work done with "soft-spoken" Randy Gordon as president of the Long Beach Rotary Club.

"When he called, I just had to hold the phone out from my ear while I worked and he talked. All I had to say was, `Yes, Randy. Yes, Randy,"' Wyrick said.

Gordon, president/CEO of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce who emceed Wyrick's retirement lunch Wednesday, winced.

After 33 years as executive director of the Long Beach Rotary Club, Wyrick was the subject of a mild roast - and returned the barbs - at her farewell lunch on the Queen Mary.

Former Rotary presidents Jim Willingham, Craig Dougherty, Greg Owen, Jim Worsham and Gordon extolled the virtues of Wyrick in gentle ribbing. They each had served as Rotary president for one year - but they always knew who the real boss was.

Worsham, CEO of the Long Beach Community Foundation, said one of Wyrick's special talents was "the ability to look directly at you and roll her eyes without moving her eyes."

Blake Christian, current Rotary president, said he didn't want to say anything that would get him in trouble with Wyrick, "so I'll keep this short." He then bestowed the first honorary lifetime membership on Wyrick as the audience gave her a standing ovation.

In a good-natured retirement speech, Wyrick revealed secrets of the 34 Rotarian presidents she has worked for, much to the delight of her audience at the Rotary's weekly meeting.

Here's a sampling:

"My second president was Judge Anderson, who wasn't a judge, but it sure got him good tables in restaurants."

"Of course, there's Henry Meyer, who managed to stay awake his entire year and went immediately back to sleep the next July."

"There's Craig Dougherty who always looks so smooth at the podium, but I know for a fact that he rehearses everything he says in the shower over and over ... don't ask me how."

"And Bob Fronke, who was our city auditor, still holds the record for missing more meetings while serving as president than anyone else."

"Cam Killingsworth, our first woman president, who managed to lose her own Rotary file not once but twice, never to be found again. Makes you suspicious of what secret stuff was in there."

She also poked fun at Jane Netherton, who "blew out the 2007 budget hiring a 747 to get all of (her) shoes to the International Convention in Salt Lake City."

And, in another poke at Gordon, Wyrick said he made her tell his friend, Nancy Becker, "that all the gifts he gave (me) during his year as president came from Nordstrom, when I know he got every one from the Queen Mary lost and found." Gordon winced again.

Wyrick said, tongue firmly in cheek, that she was working on a book deal with the National Enquirer and a few others. "I could be open to some hush money for some of those stories that I didn't mention, but we'll talk about that later," she said.

It wasn't all just fun and jokes at Wyrick's retirement party.

She praised Rotarians for their "extraordinary" work in the community, such as raising money to provide books to local elementary school children. She talked about the many memorable people she has met at Rotary meetings, including Ted Turner, Rafer Johnson and Betty White.

"It's been quite a ride full of many wonderful people and special moments that I will cherish for the rest of my life," she said. "Now, to finally let you in on who my favorite president was, it was ..."